Excavating and/or loading devices

ABSTRACT

A load-moving device, particularly an excavator, having a turntable swivellable about a vertical axis and which carries a jib capable, of being pivotally raised and lowered, a load-moving appliance being mounted on the jib, the jib being pivotally mounted on a support member, which, in turn, is pivotally mounted on the turntable about a vertical axis offset from the swivel axis and is capable of being locked in a selected one of a plurality of angular positions. The jib can therefore, be positioned to extend generally tangentially of the turntable, when desired, thereby enabling the device to operate close to a wall or other obstacle.

United States Patent [191 Smalley [s4 EXCAVATING AND/OR LOADING DEVICES [75] Inventor: Richard Smalley, Sleaford, England [73] Assignee: Richard Smalley (Engineering) Limited, Osbournby, Sleaford, England [22] Filed: Jan. 14, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 106,372

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 51 Apr. 3, 1973 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-George 1-1. Libman Attorney-Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis 57 ABSTRACT A load-moving device, particularly an excavator, having a turntable swivellable about a vertical axis and which carries a jib capable, of being pivotally raised and lowered, a load-moving appliance being mounted on the jib, the jib being pivotally mounted on a support member, which, in turn, is pivotally mounted on the turntable about a vertical axis offset from the swivel axis and is capable of being locked in a selected one of a plurality of angular positions. The jib can therefore, be positioned to extend generally tangentially of the turntable, when desired, thereby enabling the device to operate close to a wall or other obstacle.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAFR 3 I975 SHEET 1 [IF 3 PATENTEDAPRB ms- SHEET 3 OF 3 EXCAVATING AND/OR LOADING DEVICES This invention relates to excavating and/or loading devices of the kind having a support base provided with transport wheels and a jib pivotally mounted on the support base for both horizontal pivotal movement and vertical pivotal movement. The jib carries an excavating and/or loading appliance. Horizontal pivotal movement of the jib permits excavation at one location and deposition of excavated material at a relatively angularly spaced location and vertical pivotal movement permits raising and lowering of the appliance. In known devices of this kind, the jib is substantially centrally pivoted on the support base for stability in operation. This leads, however, to problems in carrying out certain operations, for example, excavating a trench alongside a wall. With a support base positioned alongside a wall, a trench excavated parallel to the wall must be considerably spaced from the wall, since the excavator must operate along a median line between the transport wheels due to the mounting of the jib.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an excavating and/or loading device which enables excavation to be carried out in such circumstances closer to the wall.

In accordance with this invention, an excavating and/or loading device comprises a support base provided with at least one pair of transport wheels, a turntable swivellably mounted about a normally generally vertical axis on the support base, a jib support member pivotally mounted on the turntable about an axis offset from and parallel to the swivel axis, means permitting locking of the jib support member in any selected one of a plurality of angular positions relative to the turntable, a jib pivotally mounted about a normally generally horizontal axis on the jib support member, an excavating and/or loading appliance carried by the jib, and power means for angularly moving the turntable and the jib and for operating the appliance.

The offsetting of the jib support member permits angular positioning of the turntable relative to the base and selective angular positioning of the jib support member relative to the turntable such that the jib extends parallel to and spaced from said median line.

' Qne particular embodiment is described hereafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the device;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating alternative working positions of the jib of the device relative to its support base;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modification; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the arm supports.

The device shown is constructed substantially as described and illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,351,331, Nov. 7, 1967, and includes a support base of forked form in plan, the support base lfl including two spaced side limbs 11 pivotally movable about ,vertical axes and extendingforwardly of the device. Each limb 11 carries a vertically adjustable part 19 provided with a foot 20. The support base mounts a pair of transport wheels 14 rearwardly of the limbs 1 1 and a pair of arms 21 project rearwardly from the support base beyond the wheels and are provided with feet 22. The arms are also pivotally movable about vertical axes 37 (FIG. 5). Each arm includes two parts 21 and 23 rotatable about a horizontal axis 38 and lockable in downwardly and upwardly projecting positions respectively to permit support of the device alternatively by the feet 22 (as shown in FIG. 1) or by the transport wheels 14. Retraction of the adjustable parts 19 and positioning of the arms 21 in upwardly projecting positions permits towing of the device, whereas with the arms 21 projecting downwardly and the posts 19 extended, the wheels are supported off the ground, whereby the device has a stable support for operation.

A turntable 24 is rotatably mounted on the support base 10 about a vertical axis lying substantially on a median line between the wheels 14. The turntable carries an upright structure 16, which mounts a cab 17, arranged so as to be wholly between the outer sides of the wheels in any angular position of the turntable.

Upper and lower ears 25, 26 project horizontally from the structure 16 and the turntable 24 respectively, the ears being parallel and in register above one another. A jib support member 27 is pivotally mounted between the ears. The distance from each ear to the inner side of each wheel in a horizontal plane, is substantially equal to half the distance between the wheels.

As shown in FIG. 2,.each eat 25, 26 is provided with a pivot aperture 28 and three locating apertures 29 which lie on an arc whose center is coincident with the corresponding pivot aperture 28. The jib support member 27 comprises upper and lower plates 30, 31 and a channel-shaped upright 32. Each of the upper and lower plates has a pivot aperture 30a, shown in the upper plate (the aperture in the lower plate not being shown) and a locating hole 30b, 31b respectively. The jib support member 27 is positioned between the ears 25, 26 with pivot pins (not shown) engaged in the pivot apertures, so as pivotally to mount the jib support member about a vertical axis parallel to and offset from the turntable axis. The jib support member may be locked in a selected one of any three angular positions with respect to the turntable by bolting the member through its locating holes in the ear.

A sleeve 34 braces the channel shaped upright 32 of the jib support member 27 and also receives a spindle (not shown) which pivotally mounts a clevis end 33 of the jib 12. The jib has first and second relatively articulated parts 12a, 12b, a first part 12a having a clevis 33 at its end remote from the articulation at 18 (FIG. 1). The second part 12b of the jib mounts an excavating and/or loading appliance 13, which may be a bucket or a grab. The device includes hydraulic rams 40, 41 and 42 connected in a hydraulic system for raising and lowering of the jib 12, for articulation of the jib parts 12a, and 12b and for operation of the appliance 13. The rams are incorporated in a hydraulic circuit (not shown) which includes a motor serving to drive the turntable 24 relative to. the support base 10 through reduction gearing (not shown) whereby the turntable.

can move angularly through 360.

In use, the jib 12 can take three alternative positions relative to the support base 10, two of said positions being illustrated in FIG. 3. These positions are determined by which of the locating apertures 29 are selected for securing of the jib support member 27 relative to the turntable 24. Using the central ones of the locating apertures 29, the jib projects radially of the turntable 24 in a conventional manner. Hence, with the device positioned alongside a wall 45 (FIG. 3) for trench digging parallel to the wall, the jib extends along the median line 46 between the wheels 14 during an excavating operation, as shown in full lines in FIG. 3. The cab 17 occupies a normal forward facing position.

With either of the end sets of locating apertures 29 used to secure the jib support member 27, the latter extends tangentially of the turntable permitting location of the jib relative to the wall 45 in the manner illustrated in dash lines in FIG. 3. In this location, the jib extends parallel to the wall 45, but is closer than in the normal position described above. The cab 17 is slewed from the normal position so as to face obliquely towards the wall.

Excavation with the jib in this offset position, is carried out in the normal manner, the turntable 24 being angularly moved so as to move the jib for deposition of excavated material at the opposite side of the device to the wall 45. The location of the jib support member 27 and the size and positioning of the cab 17 ensures that during such deposition, there is no fouling of the device against the wall.

The device can walk using the transport wheels, with the jib supplying motive power, to move the device to a site by engagement of the excavation appliance with the ground and then drawing the wheeled chassis towards the appliance. The rotatable mounting of the limbs 11 and the arms 21 about their vertical axes permits splaying of the feet beyond the normal width of the device for maximum stability and also permits positioning of one forward foot and one rearward foot 22 in positions within the normal width, so that the device can be positioned closer to a wall as shown in FIG. 3.

In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 4, each plate 30, 31 of the jib support member has a plurality of apertures 30c selectively registrable with an aperture 29 in each of the ears 25, 26 on the turntable for receiving a bolt 35. Also, the bolt may be spring loaded towards an engaged position.

I claim:

1. A back-hoe shovel comprising a support base, means for supporting the base for transport, a turntable swivellably mounted on said base about a normally generally vertical axis, upper and lower transversely disposed plate-like ears fixed with respect to the turntable and projecting outwardly therefrom and spaced apart vertically, an elongated jib, an elongated jib support member arranged in an upright position between the upper and lower ears, said jib support member having spaced sides and having the jib pivotally mounted at one end thereon between the spaced sides at the upper end of the jib support member for raising and lowering of the jib, a load-moving appliance mounted on the jib at the opposite end thereof, power operating means connected with the jib and with the load moving appliance, the jib support member having transversely disposed flat plates secured over the opposite ends thereof in bridging relation between the spaced sides and extending parallel with the respective ears, means spaced from the outer ends of the respective ears pivotally connecting said ears to the respective plates for swinging movement of the jib support member about a pivotal axis extending substantially through the plate-like ears and through the plates and between the sides of the jib support member, the pivotal axis of the jib support member being ofi'set from and parallel to said swivel axis of the turntable, and means intermediate the pivotal axis and the outer end of one of the ears interconnecting one of the plate-like ears with the adjacent flat plate including a plurality of openings in one of said adjacent plate and ear arranged in an are about the pivot axis, and a locking member connected with the other of said plate and ear in position to enter a selected one of said openings for locking of the jib support member to the turntable in any selected one of a plurality of positions spaced angularly about said offset axis of the jib support member.

2. A back-hoe shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the openings are holes in the upper-most plate-like ear and the locking member is a pin extending through one of said holes and engaging in an aperture in the adjacent flat plate at the upper end of the jib support member so as to be registrable with any selected one of the arcuately spaced holes to permit said locking.

3. A back-hoe shovel as claimed in claim 2 wherein said locking means defines a hole, the device including a pin engageable with said hole and with any selected one of the spaced openings so as to effect said locking.

4. A load-moving device as claimed in claim 1, including a cab mounted on the turntable, the supporting means including at least one pair of transport wheels mounted on the base, the cab being dimensioned so as to lie wholly between vertical planes which contain the outermost parts of the wheels and which are parallel to a median line between the wheels, in any swivel position of the turntable. 

1. A back-hoe shovel comprising a support base, means for supporting the base for transport, a turntable swivellably mounted on said base about a normally generally vertical axis, upper and lower transversely disposed plate-like ears fixed with respect to the turntable and projecting outwardly therefrom and spaced apart vertically, an elongated jib, an elongated jib support member arranged in an upright position between the upper and lower ears, said jib support member having spaced sides and having the jib pivotally mounted at one end thereon between the spaced sides at the upper end of the jib support member for raising and lowering of the jib, a load-moving appliance mounted on the jib at the opposite end thereof, power operating means connected with the jib and with the load moving appliance, the jib support member having transversely disposed flat plates secured over the opposite ends thereof in bridging relation between the spaced sides and extending parallel with the respective ears, means spaced from the outer ends of the respective ears pivotally connecting said ears to the respective plates for swinging movement of the jib support member about a pivotal axis extending substantially through the plate-like ears and through the plates and between the sides of the jib support member, the pivotal axis of the jib support member being offset from and parallel to said swivel axis of the turntable, and means intermediate the pivotal axis and the outer end of one of the ears interconnecting one of the plate-like ears with the adjacent flat plate including a plurality of openings in one of said adjacent plate and ear arranged in An arc about the pivot axis, and a locking member connected with the other of said plate and ear in position to enter a selected one of said openings for locking of the jib support member to the turntable in any selected one of a plurality of positions spaced angularly about said offset axis of the jib support member.
 2. A back-hoe shovel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the openings are holes in the upper-most plate-like ear and the locking member is a pin extending through one of said holes and engaging in an aperture in the adjacent flat plate at the upper end of the jib support member so as to be registrable with any selected one of the arcuately spaced holes to permit said locking.
 3. A back-hoe shovel as claimed in claim 2 wherein said locking means defines a hole, the device including a pin engageable with said hole and with any selected one of the spaced openings so as to effect said locking.
 4. A load-moving device as claimed in claim 1, including a cab mounted on the turntable, the supporting means including at least one pair of transport wheels mounted on the base, the cab being dimensioned so as to lie wholly between vertical planes which contain the outermost parts of the wheels and which are parallel to a median line between the wheels, in any swivel position of the turntable. 